Through The Fire by Beth Trissel

At the height of the French and Indian War, a young English widow ventures into the colonial frontier in search of a fresh start. She never expects to find it in the arms of the half-Shawnee, half-French warrior who makes her his prisoner in the raging battle to possess a continent––or to be aided by a mysterious white wolf and a holy man.

Rebecca was seeking a new life on the colonial frontier. She never expected to be taken captive by Shawnee warriors, or to fall in love with one of them.

Rebecca Elliot has had a rough life to say the least. She fled England and married a man in the colonies in order to free herself from her abusive father, who was trying to force her to marry someone against her will. Unfortunately, her husband, a British soldier, was killed during the French and Indian War. Rebecca decides to take her younger sister, Kate, out to the colonial frontier where she hopes they can stay with some family. However, her escort of British soldiers is attacked by a band of Shawnee warriors, who are allied with the French.

Kate manages to escape, but Rebecca is taken captive by a warrior named Shoka. At first, Rebecca fears that she will be killed, but Shoka treats her with kindness. Although Shoka originally intends to sell Rebecca to a Frenchman, it soon becomes apparent that the chemistry between he and Rebecca is too strong to ignore. Before they know it, they’ve fallen in love, but the path before them will not be an easy one. The French and Indian War is raging all around them, and Rebecca’s sister is still missing. To make matters worse, Shoka is being pursued by a Catawba warrior named Tonkawa who is bent on killing Shoka. If Tonkawa can’t kill Shoka, he just might settle for taking Rebecca instead.

As a heroine, Rebecca is extremely tough. Her life in England was spent shielding her younger sister from their abusive father, and Rebecca has the scars on her back to prove it. While the abuse Rebecca suffered could have broken her, instead, Rebecca developed into a strong young woman who is protective not only of her sister, but also of the people she cares about. Although Rebecca’s strength is certainly admirable, she can also be tremendously stubborn, which gets her into more then one scrape throughout the story that could have been avoided if she’d listened to those around her.

Shoka is a scarred hero. He doesn’t trust his immediate attraction to Rebecca because his first wife had many affairs and eventually left him. This has left him distrustful of women, especially very beautiful women. Even though he tries to fight it, Shoka finds himself falling in love with her, much to the dismay of his brother and some of the other members of the tribe. Despite their disapproval, Shoka is determined to protect the woman he loves no matter what.

I had previously admired Ms. Trissel’s use of descriptive language in one of her other works, and that is one of the reason’s I chose to read Through the Fire. I was very pleased to discover that this story contained the same strong imagery. “Shafts of late-day sunlight streamed through breaks in the thickly clustered trees to touch the nodding heads of columbine and rosy mountain laurel. The woods were like a garden long ago abandoned.” As I read this passage, I felt as though I were riding through the woods alongside Rebecca. “Wounded men writhed in the crushed grass, their piteous cries in her ears, while the dead lay where they’d fallen. Crimson stains pooled beneath them.” This brief passage describes one of the many action-packed battle scenes that really pulled me into the story so that I could see and hear the fighting around me.

Through the Fire is full of interesting characters, beautifully described scenery, and vivid action sequences. It is a must read for any fan of historical romance.

RATING EXPLANATION:

1 Star— At this time, we at LASR do not post these reviews. If the book was boring, badly edited, poorly written, had little or no plot, stilted dialogue, and/or unsympathetic characters, we will decline the review.

2 Stars— Not wonderful, but tolerable. There may be some minor editing glitches but not enough to stop you reading. Not a wall-banger, but nothing you'd re-read. This is a book you would borrow from the library - not buy - and never check out again.

3 Stars— Good. Mostly enjoyable. You made it through and didn't consider it a waste of time or money. The story was strong enough or the conflict tight enough, so even when the book faltered, it was able to draw you back in and keep you. There's a chance you'll recommend it to a friend, but it wouldn't go on your keeper shelf.

4 Stars— Very Good. You're glad you were the one who got to review the book. You would probably buy it and would definitely recommend it to your friends. You liked the characters and the plot. The writing style was good and the editing clean.

5 Stars— Great! You would definitely buy this book. You would definitely recommend it to your friends. You really loved the characters and the plot and would consider looking for this authors back list or making her an autobuy. The writing and editing were superb.

LASR Best Book - For a book or story that is truly exceptional. You think about it when you're not reading it. You wonder what happens to the characters when you finish. You would absolutely buy everything else this author had to offer. The highest praise - and reserved for only a few.

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